


The Stars Are Closer

by MissionKitty



Series: Obey Me! Gender Neutral Reader Series [5]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Eventual Romance, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Holding Hands, Kissing, Other, Pining, Romance, Stargazing, but it takes a bit for things to warm up, kind of slow burn?, probably not long enough to constitute an actual slow burn tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23662294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissionKitty/pseuds/MissionKitty
Summary: You've secretly taken up stargazing during your time in the Devildom to keep your homesickness at bay, but your first earnest attempt at identifying constellations gets cut short by an unexpected visit by the Avatar of Sloth to the planetarium.However, you quickly come to find that you enjoy Belphegor's quiet company and steadily discover that the two of you have something important in common with each other.Takes place after Chapter 18.
Relationships: Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Series: Obey Me! Gender Neutral Reader Series [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808332
Comments: 11
Kudos: 227





	The Stars Are Closer

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to explore a bit what a relationship between a hesitant mc and belphegor might look like without totally forgetting everything that had happened between the two of them.
> 
> i took liberties with constellation names for the devildom, hehe. i'm headcanoning that belphie has long eyelashes because apparently in classical christian demonology, belphegor often appeared to people as a beautiful woman hahaha......
> 
> also "all the stars" by kendrick lamar ft. sza gives me some serious belphegor vibes, so that's where the title came from.
> 
> i hope you enjoy.

You sat idly in the planetarium in the House of Lamentation, books and dark maps all scattered around you on the floor. You quickly realized that maybe bringing all these supplementary materials to stargaze was a bit advanced for you at the moment.

You pondered for a moment how you would explain to Satan about how you didn't really get much use out of all these books for this session of stargazing, but shrugged your shoulders and started collecting everything into a stack.

It wasn't like you wanted to be some kind of astronomer. You just felt a little more at home looking up at the perpetually-starry sky of the Devildom. However, it was quickly evident that it wasn't the same sky as the human realm, though as you thought about it, it seemed pretty obvious that would be the case.

After all, you were supposedly at least seven dimensions away from your human home.

There were no dippers, large or small, and no ever-vigilant North Star--which is why you thought it might be nice to have maybe a constellation or two to identify during your time in the Devildom.

You glanced back at the stack of books and maps, pursing your lips.

After a moment, you pulled a map from under a book and carefully opened it again. You stared at it, trying to silently pronounce some of the names written under certain groups of stars. Alloces, Forneus, Glasya-Labolas, all names you had never heard of…until you saw Lucifer written in fancy script. You cocked an eyebrow and chuckled--wondering if maybe you had missed six other familiar names.

You started rereading the map when you heard footsteps coming up the stairs to the planetarium, and quickly set it down to gather everything and leave.

You weren't eager to admit it, but you didn't want the others to know you were spending so much time staring at the stars because you were homesick.

"Oh, hey," a lazy voice greeted you.

You turned around to see Belphegor standing in the entrance to the planetarium, his expression its usual slightly-unimpressed.

You whirled back to continue collecting the stack of books, more than eager to leave the planetarium now. Of all the brothers, Belphie was the one you definitely didn't feel comfortable sharing your homesickness with.

Of course, things were mostly patched up between you and him, but that didn't take away the memory of his anger toward you and all humans.

"Sorry, I was just finishing up," you quickly replied, picking up the stack of books and maps in your arms. Belphie looked at you, no apparent change in his expression, as you scurried past him. "It's all yours!" You added with a quick glance and weak smile.

He said nothing in reply, and you hustled down the stairs to return everything to Satan.

You'd try identifying constellations another time, when you were sure you'd be alone.

***

It was a few days before you were finally able to return to the planetarium alone. There had been a few times where you had gone up, map tucked under your arm, but Belphie was already there. You quietly snuck away before your presence was known, disappointed that you couldn’t just watch the stars in solitude, but grateful you wouldn’t have to offer any awkward explanations to Belphie.

However, it was a weeknight, and presumably everyone was busy with homework. You figured that you would get ahead of the curve and do yours during class time to take advantage of the hopefully-empty planetarium--and your preparation had paid off.

At last, you reclined in a chair at the edge of the planetarium and set your map in front of you. Satan was nice enough to let you have the map, and you had taken the time to read the names during your free time. Curiously enough, Lucifer’s name was the only one you recognized on the map, and while you wanted to know why he was the only one who seemed to have his own constellation, you didn’t dare risk revealing your secret hobby.

You decided that his constellation would be the first one you’d try to find, and you looked up through the ceiling of the planetarium, watching the ethereal stars that twinkled in different colors above you.

You could only search in silence for a moment when you heard a voice call out behind you.

“Finally,” Belphie said with a sigh.

You whirled around, shocked at his quiet entrance and felt yourself blush.

“Look, I know you’ve been avoiding me,” he continued, walking up to you. “I know you’ve tried to come up here a few times while I was here.”

You could feel the heat from your cheeks start traveling to your neck and ears as he pulled out the chair across from you and sat down. He set a map down on the table in front of the two of you and curiously stared at you.

“You left this behind the last time you were up here…” he said in a gentle voice, resting his arms and head on the table. He tilted his head to the side, looking up at you from under his lashes.

Your heart started pounding heavily, looking back at him for what felt like an eternity. In your panic, you found yourself somehow focused on the remarkably delicate-looking features of his face. As he patiently watched you, you noticed how long his eyelashes were and how they made his curious gaze somewhat alluring. His face was quite boyish, and his rather unkempt hairstyle gave him the appearance of innocence. Though you had made a pact with him, there was a part of you that remembered his youthful face twisted into a horrific smile as he struck you down in cold blood.

“I know that you still find it hard to trust me,” Belphie said with a sigh, closing his eyes. “Not that I blame you.”

You felt yourself starting to sweat a bit as you moved your gaze to the map you apparently left behind.

You wanted to bring yourself to trust Belphie, you did, but...your mind was still scarred by that night.

“I’m...stargazing,” you blurted out, much to your own surprise.

Belphie’s eyes flew back open as you spoke, apparently not expecting you to respond. His purple-and-pink eyes sparkled curiously at you.

“It’s different from the human realm, huh?” He asked, his voice lilting slowly. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen the sky there.”

You nodded quietly, deciding to relax your shoulders a little. You watched Belphie adjust his position, lazily resting his chin on the heel of his palm.

“Any reason why you’ve picked it up lately?” He gave you a small smile.

You bit the inside of your lip, quietly cursing yourself for falling into the exact situation with the exact person you didn’t want to get into.

“Just...curious, I guess,” you murmured. “I see them all the time, so I figured I might try and identify a few while I’m here.”

Belphie nodded and looked down at the maps on the table. “It’s kind of fun, isn’t it?”

You nodded again, now starting to smile.

“I used to come up here a lot before...everything,” he said, tracing his finger along one of the constellations on the map in front of him. His voice was wistful, and you sensed a bit of sadness in his voice as you watched his teal-colored fingernail slide across each marked star. “Quiet, you know? It’s nice.”

For a second, you recognized a hint of something familiar in his tone.

“I didn’t mean to intrude the other night,” he continued, pulling his finger away from the map. He ran his hand through his hair that covered his eye, revealing it, and let out a long exhale. “I was just...hoping to do a little stargazing of my own.”

You sensed a sadness in his words that twisted your heart into a knot.

“I just wanted to return this, though.” Belphie tapped the map in front of him and then scooted his chair backwards, preparing to leave.

You tilted your head to the side, your twisted heart making your whole chest ache.

“You can stay, if you’d like,” you said quietly. “I don’t think I’ll be much for conversation though. I’m just trying to find a constellation or two.”

Belphie stared back at you, smiling after a moment.

“Thank you, but maybe next time,” he said with a small sigh. “I’ve still got some homework to finish.”

You nodded in understanding, smiling back.

“If you find me up here first, don’t run off next time, okay?” Belphie’s smile turned into a smirk as he carefully stood up and walked off. He gave a small wave before disappearing down the stairs.

As you watched him leave, the rest of the tension in your shoulders disappeared, but there was a small fragment of you that wished he would have stayed.

That hint of something familiar that you felt made you curious. You figured that perhaps the next time you saw him, you might be able to figure out what it was.

You looked back at your map, suddenly unwilling to focus on finding constellations.

***

The next few nights you spent in the planetarium, Belphie had been there. Most times he was there before you, usually laying on the ground, his head resting on his cow-print pillow.

The two of you spent most of your time just silently looking up at the stars, but every so often you’d stumble upon a topic of conversation that kept you both engaged for a while. It often included funny things the others did, but this latest one ended up putting you both in stitches from laughing so much.

“And then...Lucifer’s face when Mammon managed to escape from him again…” Belphie snorted.

You could only nod and cackle in response, doubling over in laughter and trying to keep from falling out of your chair.

Belphie’s loud laughter was incredibly infectious and after he started giggling, you couldn’t help but start laughing along with him.

"Oh...they cause so much trouble," he continued laughing. "How did you even manage with them?"

You shook your head, your laughing slowly coming to an end.

"Hey, at the end of the day, they took care of me too," you chuckled, wiping your eyes.

Belphie's laughter petered out as well, and he let out a sigh as he looked back at you with a content smile.

"I wish I could have been here before, and not trapped in that attic…" He murmured, that hint of something familiar back in his voice. "Then I could have been up here, enjoying the stars with you."

You stifled a gasp as Belphie's admission caused your stomach to do a somersault. It was likely he only meant it in a friendly way, but it still made your cheeks tingle with warmth to hear it.

The past few nights spent with Belphie had been pleasant, even if a fair amount of it had been spent in silence. Maybe that was what you needed most. Just for you to be in Belphie's presence and for him to be in yours.

"Well, we're here now, right?" You said warmly. You stretched upward, trying to release the warmth that had been building in your cheeks and neck.

You heard Belphie hum in agreement as you finished your stretch, but were shocked when you glanced back at him to find him still staring at you.

You overcame your initial shock and smiled once you took in his serene expression. You admitted to yourself that it was nice to finally have something to share with Belphie. You couldn't help but wonder how long he had been shackled by frustration and anger.

How long had he felt alone?

It suddenly struck you like a clap of thunder. You finally recognized what was so familiar in his voice.

Homesickness.

How long had Belphie felt like a prisoner in his own home? Disconnected from his brothers? Even now, there was still some kind of distance between him and everyone else.

Your heart began to twist again, sending a deep ache through your ribs.

"Hey, what's that sad look for?" Belphie asked, looking concerned.

His question shocked you out of your thoughts and you quickly shook your head, hoping to dissipate the apparently-sad look that had crossed your face. You mentally scrambled to come up with an excuse.

"Uh, you-you just look kind of...lonely down there by yourself…" You managed to stammer out, but kicked yourself immediately afterward for including the word lonely. Heat crept up your neck and ears as embarrassment washed through your thoughts.

Belphie stared at you curiously for a moment before shrugging and letting out a small laugh.

"Well, there's plenty of room down here if you'd like to join me," he said, closing his eyes and giving a small grin. He adjusted his head on his pillow to make some room on it. "If you want," he added. You weren't sure if the dim light was playing tricks on your eyes, but it seemed like a pink tint was appearing on Belphie's cheeks.

A warm jolt shot through your body as you thought about laying down next to Belphie. As you looked at him, you knew that underneath his soft-looking casual clothes, much like his brothers, he was pretty well-built. And of course, you were becoming very familiar with his charming, boyish face. The memory of his haunting smile was now being replaced with the various memories of a small, gentle one.

You had managed to steal a few glances at Belphie when he was focused on the stars or had dozed off for a moment over the nights you had spent together in the planetarium. A warm smile would play across his lips as what you guessed were pleasant thoughts would dance in his mind.

Before you could stop yourself, you were moving from your chair to lay down next to Belphie, carefully resting your head on his pillow.

The pillow itself was not particularly wide, so you found yourself right next to Belphie, your heads and shoulders touching. The warmth from your neck had now reached down to your stomach and continued traveling downward to your feet.

In an attempt to distract yourself from your proximity to Belphie, you frantically searched your mind for a new conversation topic.

"Hey, so," you started, your voice shaking more than you would have liked. "I...saw Lucifer's name on one of the constellations on those maps, but no one else's. Do you know why?"

Belphie chuckled, and you could feel his shoulder rub against yours as his torso rumbled.

"I was wondering when you'd ask. It's kind of a dumb, funny story," he said, glancing at you and then looking back up through the ceiling of the planetarium.

"So I'm sure all those other names you saw were weird and confusing, but they're all names of old demons that helped contribute to the Devildom...though I don't know if they're still around or asleep like the Demon King or whatever." Belphie's voice was soft and slow. You felt yourself melting a little closer into Belphie's shoulder as he spoke. "So...after we fell, when Diavolo took us all in, he wanted to base constellations on us. Most of us thought it was weird, besides Asmo, and with...everything that had happened, we didn't really feel deserving of constellations." Belphie's voice trailed off sadly and he let out a slow sigh.

Your heart sank a bit as you realized the disturbing irony of fallen angels being offered metaphorical places in the sky.

"That's...in kind of bad taste," you found yourself musing out loud.

Belphie let out an amused chuckle and he looked at you as you stared up at the sky.

"So even a human gets it," he said, nudging you with his elbow. You glanced at him sympathetically and gave a half-hearted smirk. "But, yeah... Lucifer offered himself up as an 'astronomical sacrifice,'" he continued, sarcastically making air quotes with his fingers. "And so the constellation 'Lucifer' was officially recognized in the Devildom. Yay…" This time, Belphie trailed off his sentence lazily, but brushed against your hand before quickly clasping his hands together on his stomach.

Butterflies started bouncing around in your stomach as you processed Belphie's touch. You began realizing how warm his shoulder was against yours, and became hyper-aware of his head against yours.

You both fell silent, and you found yourself focusing on the sound of Belphie's slow breathing. You looked over after a minute or two to see if he had fallen asleep due to the rhythmic, deep breaths he was taking, but he was looking straight up through the ceiling of the planetarium. His visible eye had a sad look to it, though the rest of his expression was neutral. You glanced at his hands, folded neatly on his stomach, and had an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch them.

Lonely was the word that rang through your head as you tried to further identify the look in his eye, and your heart started to race the longer you stared at his hands.

As you struggled to move your hand toward his, you heard steps coming up the stairs to the planetarium.

Like a flash, both you and Belphie sat up and raced to the closest table, sitting in opposite chairs. You looked at each other in embarrassed shock before turning your attention to the unexpected visitor. You watched as Beelzebub walked into the planetarium.

"Oh, there the two of you are," he said with a smile. "Lucifer wanted me to remind you of our student council meeting tomorrow, and to not be late."

"Yeah, whatever…" Belphie replied dismissively, nodding his head. "I won't sleep in."

You nodded silently, trying to smile convincingly at Beel before he walked off down the stairs.

"Guess we should call it a night, then…" Belphie said to you rather sadly.

"Yeah...guess so," you murmured.

Belphie looked at you intently for a moment.

"Will you be coming here tomorrow night?"

You nodded. "Will you?"

"Yeah." He smiled and dreamily closed his eyes. "You're good company."

***

True to his word, Belphie did not sleep in and was not late to the Student Council meeting. Even more surprisingly, he stayed in every single class afterward.

You found yourself watching Belphie intently during the day, though quickly tried to pull your gaze away anytime he noticed. The few times he caught you, he gave you a small smile that scrambled your insides and turned your ears red.

You also found yourself thinking of the warmth from Belphie's shoulder the night before. It was difficult to focus on your classes when all you could bring yourself to think about was feeling his body next to you again. You were eager for classes to end so you could go back to the planetarium.

You sat quietly in the cafeteria at RAD, just letting your mind wander restlessly to Belphie over and over again. You absently picked at your food until you felt the seat next to you rattle backwards.

"You've been staring at me a lot today." Belphie's voice was low and clear beside you, making you jump. You eagerly turned your head to see him sitting down next to you, a slight smile on his lips. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"No, I was just zoning out," you replied with a laugh.

"Were you zoning out all the times you were looking at me?" He asked playfully. A gentle dusting of pink covered his cheeks as he settled into his chair.

You felt your cheeks turn hot and you tried stifling an embarrassed smile. You couldn't bring yourself to respond in words, so you quickly shook your head.

Belphie chuckled and sighed.

"Well, I can't say I don't like it when I catch you staring. But it makes me just want to go back to the planetarium with you…"

"Me too." You laughed quietly.

"I guess that settles it, then." Belphie smiled coyly. "Let's ditch the rest of the day and hang out in the planetarium," he whispered, giving you a knowing look from under his eyelashes.

"Won't it be suspicious if we both leave at the same time?" You asked, trying to look nonchalant as you took a bite of food from your tray.

"You're right…" Belphie nodded sagely, humming pensively. "How about this then? I'll leave after lunch and make it special for when you get there. I kind of owe it to you for letting me sit up there with you."

You couldn't help but let a wide smile cross your face as you considered his offer.

"That smile…" Belphie continued smiling as he glanced at you. "Tells me that you like the idea. Guess it's a date."

Warmth crashed over you like an angry wave as those last four words escaped Belphie's mouth.

"Go to your next class. It shouldn't take me too long to get ready."

"Maybe...I should just go with you now?" You proposed, the raging butterflies in your stomach begging you to stay near Belphie.

"Oh...but that would ruin the surprise…" He replied, putting on a hurt face. He briefly cracked a smile before returning to his pout. You forced yourself to relent, wanting to trust Belphie and whatever he had planned.

"Okay, but I'm coming as soon as next period is over," you said with a smile and a nod.

"Perfect."

***

The next period went more slowly than you had ever experienced, your excitement to meet Belphie in the planetarium making time feel like it was standing still.

Once you were dismissed, you sped out of RAD and back to the House of Lamentation. You checked your phone, feeling it buzz, and saw a message from Belphie.

Belphegor: Change into something comfortable before you come up here.

You wondered why you might need to change, but didn't worry for long once you got inside the House. It was silent, everyone else still at RAD. A smile crept across your face as you realized that no one would interrupt your quiet time in the planetarium with Belphie this time.

You changed out of your uniform more quickly than you had before and changed to your casual clothes, almost sprinting to the planetarium. You climbed the stairs, finally able to rein in your excitement now that you were finally there.

You reached the top of the stairs and slowly entered the planetarium.

Belphie sat perched on a table near the edge of the room, next to a giant spread of blankets and pillows on the floor. He had a smile on his face, though as you continued walking in, you could see him start to blush profusely.

"I guess it wasn't that much of a surprise…" He said with a sigh. "We just didn't have much room together on my pillow alone."

"I love it," you replied, grinning. "Knowing you, this should be nice and cozy."

"I also...actually wanted to talk about the stars with you, too." Belphie slid off the table and took a seat in the middle of the blankets on the floor.

You nodded, suddenly remembering why you had started coming up to the planetarium in the first place. You couldn't help but be amused at how quickly you had been distracted from your homesickness by Belphie. You wondered if maybe you had been distracting him from whatever was bothering him as well.

You sat down next to him, not getting too close just yet. His expression was serious, and he seemed like he was preparing to say something.

"Lay down," he said quietly once you settled in.

You obeyed and laid down, Belphie following suit. His shoulder was pressed against yours again. He glanced at you and smiled, taking a deep breath.

"I mentioned that I used to come here a lot before Lucifer trapped me in the attic...it was quiet and a nice place to sleep," Belphie said in a low voice. "But I liked to watch the stars before I closed my eyes. There was something comforting about seeing them, even though we became demons."

You let out a small, sharp exhale and smiled.

"Do you want to know why I really started stargazing?" You murmured, nudging Belphie's arm with your elbow.

You had never expected it so suddenly, but here you were, next to Belphegor, the Avatar of Sloth, and you felt _safe_. You wanted to share the truth with him.

"Sure," he replied quietly.

You took a deep breath to steady the butterflies in your stomach.

"I've been getting homesick a lot lately," you said slowly. "Watching the stars made me feel a little like I was still in the human realm."

"...I'm really sorry I intruded, then. I think I understand what that feels like," Belphie murmured apologetically.

"No, it's fine," you quickly countered, turning your head to look at him. "I'm glad you came. I realized that it was nice to not do this alone." You started sitting up on your elbows, getting a better look at Belphie.

He looked up at you, his expression longing.

"It was so lonely in that attic...I couldn't even watch the stars like this anymore," he said achingly. "But now, I'm here. Free."

Belphie brushed his fingers over your hand, letting them linger on the top of your palm before slowly pulling them on top of his stomach.

Your stomach jumped as you felt his fingers on your hand and every part of you seemed to scream to take his hand in yours.

You focused on his hand for what seemed like an eternity. The two of you were silent. You had no idea where Belphie's attention was focused, your skin aching to feel his again.

Finally, in yet another move that shocked you, your hand seemed to move on its own and slipped firmly into Belphie's.

You heard him gasp quietly, but his hand closed firmly around yours and squeezed.

His hand was warm and soft. Goosebumps raced across your skin as you saw your hand in his and looked at his face.

A deep pink colored his cheeks as he looked back at you with a surprised smile.

"You don't have to be lonely anymore," you said barely above a whisper. Your breathing was heavy and slow, your heart aching with a desire to be with him.

"You don't have to be lonely, either," Belphie replied slowly. He steadily pulled you in toward him, guiding you to rest your head on his chest. He gently wrapped his arm around your back and held you close.

You could feel his heart pounding in your ear as you settled your head on his chest. He smelled comforting and flowery, but you couldn't identify the scent, so you settled for taking slow, deep breaths in to try and memorize it.

"I'm sorry you felt homesick…" Belphie said, his voice rumbling in his chest. "I know we probably don't make it easy."

You shook your head.

"No, that's not true," you said with a sigh. "I just…" you hesitated to continue for a moment, swallowing hard. "Didn't want to bother anyone with it. I cause enough worry as it is."

You felt Belphie squeeze you against him again, and you pulled your hand up to rest on his chest.

"You've also helped us a lot. You've...helped me a lot," Belphie murmured. He pressed his lips against your head, sending electricity through your veins. "Let us...let _me_ help you." His breath was warm on your hair and you clung more tightly to his chest.

"Okay," you whispered, closing your eyes. You honed in on his warmth and let out a content sigh. You felt him adjust to his side and reach his other arm around to fully embrace you against his chest.

His strength surprised you as he held you firm against him. You snuggled in closer, sliding your head underneath his chin. He gently kissed your forehead, making your temperature rise and start burning away your inhibitions. You scooted back just enough to see his face, which was almost entirely flushed, but his eyes were heavy-lidded and he had a big smile.

"I think I've got something else I want to do other than stargaze," you murmured, your heartbeat now pounding in your throat.

"I was kind of thinking the same thing," Belphie said slowly, reaching his hand up to stroke your cheek. "That...maybe I've got something new to gaze at now."

As he finished, he gently pressed his lips to yours, burying his hand in your hair.

You kissed him in return, copying him and threading your fingers into his hair, pushing his long bangs out of his eyes. As you finished your kiss, you looked into his eyes, which sparkled much like the stars above you.

"Again, please," he said in a low voice before pulling you back in and hungrily pressing his lips to yours. You moaned in agreement as you leaned into his kiss and felt him pull on your lower lip with his teeth.

You definitely weren't going to be doing much stargazing now.


End file.
